Where Do They Go? How to Find AirDrop Files on iPhone!

Apple has added the AirDrop feature for all the devices with iOS 7/Mac OS X Lion and above. AirDrop allows iOS and Mac users to transfer all files, photos, documents, and others with other nearby iOS and Mac devices by means of close-range wireless communication. It’s not limited to the size of the file which AirDrop can transfer.

However, if you can't find airdrop files on iPhone normally, you may wonder where the airdropped files go when using iPhone AirDrop. This post aims to solve the most frequently asked question about iOS AirDrop: where to find AirDrop files on iPhone. Besides, a free AirDrop alternative is introduced to help you transfer data between iPhones and computers at a lightning speed without iTunes.

Where Did AirDrop Photos Go?

When using a MacBook, users have the option of choosing where their AirDrop files are saved. Unfortunately, it’s not suitable for iPhone, the file types decide the location where the airdropped files are saved. If you know where do airdrop files go on iPhone, it’s easy to transfer iPhone data to Mac.

AirDrop Photos on Mac

Airdrop photos and other files are saved in the “Downloads” folder. To access this folder, here are the steps to find where are AirDrop files.

Step 1. Click Go option

On your mac desktop, you can click "Go" from the top menu.

Step 2. Choose Downloads

Choose the download option from the drop-down menu. 

AirDrop Photos on iPhone

Photos transferred via Airdrop are automatically saved in the iPhone's photos folder. When the transfer is finished, you could tap the Photos icon on your iPhone and check the airdropped photos in the photo library. Relative Read: How to Receive AirDrop Photos.

How to Find AirDrop Files on iPhone

Except for photos, you could transfer contacts, eBooks, PDFs, documents, text, and other files via the AirDrop feature. For Mac users, these files will be also saved in the Download folder like airdropped photos. But for iPhone users, the location for Airdropped files could be different.

AirDrop files on iPhone will bring up a menu with different options for iPhone to open and save the files. Files sent via iPhone AirDrop are automatically saved in the app from which they were sent. If you don’t have the same app, you will be redirected to the App Store to download or you could try to open the files with other options.

Best AirDrop Alternative: Transfer Files Between iPhones

Airdrop is an efficient feature available for iPhone/Mac users to transfer iPhone files, but it has some disadvantages. For example, it takes too long for iPhone data transfer in case of large files. You could only transfer one file at a time. Moreover, if you transfer multiple photos at one time, AirDrop could be no reaction or interrupted.

It’s recommended to use the free iPhone transfer app-AOMEI FoneBackup on iPhones to overcome those limitations. It’s the best AirDrop alternative without Bluetooth to transfer files between iPhones and iPads.

Step 1. Download and install AOMEI FoneBackup app

Scan the QR code below or search AOMEI FoneBackup in the App Store to get the one of the best freeware phone tools for transfer on your iPhone.

Step 2. Connect two devices

Place the two iPhones closely and enable Wi-Fi > Open AOMEI FoneBackup and then tap “Connect Device” > Tap the name of the iPhone you want to transfer files to.

Step 3. Select files and send

On the source iPhone, tap File Transfer in the lower-left corner > You could transfer photos, music, videos, and contacts directly.

If you want to transfer more files, choose “Files” and tap the plus icon to browse the files you want to transfer on your iPhone or iCloud Drive.

And then tap “Send” for iPhone file transfer.

iPhone data transfer will be completed in seconds. If you want to transfer data from iPhone to computers, you could download AOMEI FoneBackup software on your computer. Besides, it supports backing up iPhone to computers.

Extend Reading: FAQ about AirDrop iPhone

 How to turn on AirDrop on iPhone?

Enabling AirDrop on iPhone is easy and requires only a few steps. Open the Control Center on your iPhone by swiping down from the top-right corner on an iPhone X or newer iPhone models or swiping up from the bottom on older models. And then tap and hold the WiFi module to set the AirDrop option.

 How to change the AirDrop name on iPhone?

To change the AirDrop name, you could go to “Settings” > “General” > “About” > “Name”. And then you could type the name you want. Tap “Done” to confirm the change.

 Why won't AirDrop work on my iPhone?

If AirDrop doesn’t work on your iPhone, you could check your device first. To use AirDrop, you need an iPhone 7 and later, iPad 4 or later, and a 5th-generation iPod Touch.

After that, you could go to “Settings” > “General” > “AirDrop” to set your iPhone could be discovered in AirDrop to receive from everyone or only contacts.

You could toggle WiFi and Bluetooth to fix this error. Or you could use AOMEI FoneBackup to transfer iPhone photos, music, videos, contacts, and files easily and quickly for free if the AirDrop transfer failed.

Conclusion

That's all about where do Airdropped files go and how to find AirDrop files on iPhone. Following the guide above, you can find files locations based on the different file types you received from the AirDrop. If you always encounter airdrop failures or the situation of can't find airdrop files, you can choose to use the professional wireless transfer tool - AOMEI FoneBackup app to help you. It provides detailed transfer records and allows you to find your files more quickly.